The Dunn Family

Here is our little man!!!!

2009-07-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

The view from here is amazing!!

2009-07-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

Sarah has been in Ethiopia for several days now, and I have had the chance to talk to her via Skype. (If you don't know what it is, and you make international calls, look it up.) Olivia is beautiful! Very active with lots of cooing, and she is very ticklish. I had a profound effect on Olivia when I saw her on Skype, because she was saying dadadadadadada. I'm that strong of an influence!!

This is incredible. Just knowing that God has blessed us with this amazing little girl, and that she is doing so well despite the circumstances she has come from....it takes my breath away!

I can't wait to have my wife and daughter come home. The past week has been long, and the next several days will be even longer, but I can only imagine what emotions will pulse through my body on Saturday when they get off that plane.

The Trip begins

2009-07-02T14:08:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I drove Sarah down to Denver Colorado for the first leg of her flight to Ethiopia. After dinner at Olive Garden, we crashed and set a wake up call for 3:15am. At 5:30am, I sat upright in bed and looked at the clock. CRAP!!!! Got to love a reliable wake up call from the night shift of the hotel!

After rushing to the airport and spending a few extra bucks to re-schedule the flight, Sarah was off to Washington DC. Sarah's mother and oldest sister are also going with her. I won't go into detail about the different stories from her family about their feelings of us being late!

It's hard to believe that Sarah will be flying over the ocean tomorrow. I start to get the shakes when I think about a new baby coming home next week. How cool is that? AWESOME!!! Olivia is gorgeous, as you can see by the pictures from the previous post. Crazy......just crazy. The whole thing puts me at a loss for words.

Please continue to pray for Asher. The courts have yet to announce any decisions about the abandonment cases that were under investigation, which leaves Asher in limbo. A big thank you to everyone who has prayed, helped and encouraged us throughout this process. You guys are awesome!

Our new daughter! :-)

2009-06-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

Meet Olivia Gadisse Dunn! and please continue to keep Asher in your payers as we wait for the courts to start hearing cases again.

A true test

2009-05-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Forget the roller coaster. Forget the third time is a charm. Forget the ball going flat. BOOM!!! That ball has simply exploded.

When we thought the frustration couldn't get any worse, today happened. We received news that Olivia didn't pass court again. This time it appears that a holiday in Ethiopia prevented someone from getting things ready in time, and once again we are delayed in our efforts to bring home our daughter.

The new court date has been set for June 12th, and the new Embassy date is July 6th. If Olivia passes court on the 12th, that would put everyone on a plane over the fourth of July weekend.

If everyone could diligently pray over the next two weeks for those in charge of this case to prepare properly, we would greatly appreciate it.

Grrrrrrrr

2009-05-25T10:46:00.001-07:00

So just when we thought the ball was rolling again, the darn thing gets a hole in it!

We received a phone call from our adoption agency that said some paperwork wasn't in place to complete the court hearing on May 22nd. Irritation was quick to set in, but things are obviously out of our control. The hearing has been reset for May 29th, and hopefully this time everything will be ready to go. Third time's the charm, right?

The ban on adopting children that is effecting Asher is still ongoing. The last time this happened was about a year ago, and it took six weeks to get things resolved. That is the tentative time frame we are hoping for, but since we can't hold our breath that long.........we're not!

Despite the ups and downs we have experienced lately, we have to remember that things are actually going quicker than we had hoped. Since we started the process in late October of 2008, with the mind set that it would take 1-2 years to complete everything, we are still blessed to be sitting where we are.

Thank God for his love and kindness to bring these beautiful children to our family. We are truly blessed!!

The roller coaster....Part II

2009-05-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

So after your stomach settles, and the fear of certain death has subsided, the thrill of the ride kicks in! Your heart is pounding so hard in your chest that you aren't sure you can catch your breath. The adrenaline is screaming through your veins and you can't stop shaking. You want to get back in line and go again!

WOW....talk about amazing! We got news that since Olivia was found abandoned outside of town she is not affected by the investigation that is occurring. Her court date was moved to May 22nd, but we can go get her at the end of June as scheduled!!! AWESOME!!!

Asher is still on hold due to the circumstances in Ethiopia, but our baby girl is coming home!! :-) Sarah is going to fly with our oldest son Carter, and when Asher is approved to come home, then I will go get him. I am thrilled at the opportunity to be the one who gets him! Maybe I can talk our youngest son Justice into going with me.

The roller coaster

2009-05-13T11:45:00.000-07:00

Just when we think things are going smoothly and life is good, the roller coaster of life goes over the next big hill and throws your stomach into your throat.

We were informed on Monday the 11th that all adoption cases involving children that have been found abandoned, are being halted until further notice. The government in Ethiopia has found evidence of possible fraud with abandoned children. There is concern that some of these children have been taken or sold, so an investigation is underway to sort out what is going on. All we know is that this could be days, weeks or even months before we have a new court date.

Thus the throat in the stomach comment earlier.

Please pray that this gets resolved quickly and Asher & Olivia stay safe and healthy.

Almost Official :-)

2009-05-08T20:29:00.000-07:00

Our court date is the 13th, which will be Tuesday night here so please keep Asher and Olivia in your payers.
If all goes well I will be able to post their pictures that day.

MY BAD!!!

2009-03-23T13:11:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the delayed report. As you can tell, I am prone to putting things off, and the result is a posting that is a month late. MY BAD!!!

Once we were informed about the court date being set for June, the idea of having to wait four months to bring our children home was devastating. I suggested that Sarah fly out to see the kids in the middle of April to ease the anxiety and be better prepared for the final trip. Sarah was thrilled at the idea of seeing the babies, but after talking to Susan and others that have been thru the adoption process, it was decided that it would be better for everyone involved if the April trip was canceled, and just fly out with the boys in June. As difficult as this decision was, we know that God has his hand in everything that has happened to this point, and the trust had to be put back on him.

Over the past month there has been one change involving the adoption. Initially we were going to name our baby girl “Sadie Gadiesse Dunn”, but time has played a role in our thoughts on this as well. After numerous discussions and prayer, we have decided that we will name our daughter “Olivia Gadiesse Dunn”. So why change the name? What was the major contributing factor that made of consider this idea? As foolish as it sounds, we suddenly found several friends and co-workers that had pet dogs named Sadie. That didn’t sit well with Sarah, but then what does sit well with her?!!!? Olivia is, at this point anyway, the official name for our baby girl! AWESOME!!!

As of today we are down to only eleven more weeks before Sarah and the boys will fly to Ethiopia and see our new children face to face for the first time! The anticipation is almost unbearable, but who wouldn’t be on edge knowing you were about to add two beautiful children to your family!

Still waiting on that update Travis.....

2009-03-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

While we wait.

A rough storm came up one night and left a sandy beach strewn with starfish.

The next morning, a child walked along the shore, stopping every few
feet to pick up a starfish and fling it out into the sea.

An old man watching the child finally shouted at him, "Why bother,
son? There are too many starfish to make a difference."

With that, the boy picked up another starfish and looked at it
intently before heaving it out into the sea. Then turning to the old
man he said...

"It makes a difference to this one."

Something to think about

2009-03-05T18:01:00.000-08:00

'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.'
When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

May 12th is the day!

2009-02-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

Finally!!!! The date has been set, and the bags are already packed. Seriously!! For now I will keep this short and sweet. The court date is set for May 12th, and then Sarah and the boys will travel four weeks after that. There is some frustration and broken hearts at the idea of waiting another four months to bring our babies home, but everything is in Gods hands. Check back on Sunday for a more detailed posting. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support!

1 Peter 5:7 ~ Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you

Getting even closer :-)

2009-02-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

We received our I-171H today so now we're just waiting for a court date!! It's feeling VERY real now! Soon Asher will get to see and hear us!!

Getting Closer

2009-01-28T22:57:00.000-08:00

All our paper work is in Ethiopa now :-)!! So we are getting closer to bringing Asher & Sadie home. Please pray that our court date is not far off.

Here is a passage that a friend of mine shared with me.
24 About Asher he said: "Most blessed of sons is Asher; let him be favored by his brothers, and let him bathe his feet in oil. 25 The bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days.

Doing Good

2009-01-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

Our social worker from Illien is back from Ethiopia! Asher is doing great and listens to our voices on the digital recorder all the time! ( thank you Nancy for the wonderful idea!!!!. He is chubby, happy and healthy! we pray he continues this way till we can get him home.
Sadie is doing as well as she can and has taken to the formula well :-) but is still a tiny girl, she did interact well with Susan so this was great news!
We hope everyone had a wonderful new year! Thank you so much for all the payers and please keep them coming! We know everything will fall into place in His time and way.

Kathy Troccoli - A Different Road
From the album Corner Of Eden

I've traveled long
I've traveled hard
And stumbled many times along the way
I've bruised my knees a lot
And turned my back on God
And seen His mercy

I've been quick to judge
And slow to learn
So many times I've gotten in the way
I think I know so much
I've questioned God enough
But still He loves me

So now I'll walk a different road
I want to see Him there before I even go
I've run ahead and gone too slow
I've got to be still now
And wait upon His will now
This time ... It's gonna be His time

Don't want to live
Without the peace
That comes to me when I am by His side
I've known the freedom there
I can't find it anywhere
But in Christ Jesus

I believe He's got a plan
Everything in His time
I may not always understand
Everything in His time
Everything in His time

For those of you who have asked.....

2008-12-29T16:08:00.000-08:00

Hello all here is some info for those of you who have asked what you can do to help the orphanages in Ethiopia.
Also check out this website for Ethio-American Family Services

"Right now our most urgent needs are: diapers, lotion, formula, clothes for kids ages 4-12 and sheets. We are hoping to do a drive for some of these items. And, of course, money is always needed. Dedra said your kids were excited about being involved. There is certainly much they could do, even at 8 and 9, that would be so helpful. We have a kids group right now who are considering doing a project called "Give 'Em 5". We say that we are building this orphanage $5 at a time, so they are seeking out people to donate $5. We are also trying to contact day care centers to circulate a flyer to have people donate their gently used crib sheets, bibs and baby blankets. So, there are many things that kids can do to help"

Asher update :-)

2008-12-27T22:46:00.000-08:00

Apparently Asher is not a fan of monkeys :-)

"while I took the photos, clothes, and tape recorder and gorilla to ashefni. He was not fond of the gorilla he threw it away. But he is such a happy baby and so chunky and fat. I love it. I just hugged him. I love it. He is also walking did you know that??? Oh my goodness. yes, I have been in your place as a waiting parent as you may know. So, as I have done before I got pics and I got a little of him trying to walk. He actually loves you all talking to him. Another baby tried to grab his tape recorder and he snatched it. I said he is already like hey this is my family man!!! Again he is so precious."

Merry Christmas to all!!

2008-12-25T09:31:00.000-08:00

Many things have changed since Christmas of 2007, so hold on while we lay it all out for you! It’s hard to believe how quickly the year has passed. The men and kids continue to get older, while every woman miraculously stays the same age. What’s up with that?!? As usual, the man gets the short end of the stick!

Carter is 9 and Justice is 8. They are the best of friends, and always willing to help their sisters even when mom and dad don’t tell them too! Both boys have been bored out of their minds in school this year, so we had them tested to see what could be done to keep them engaged and excited about learning. Both boys qualified for the gifted and talented program, and will start attending the program after Christmas break. They are both video game junkies, love to read, enjoy soccer and swimming.

Avery is 4 and Reagan is 2. They are polar opposites when it comes to nearly everything. Avery is the princess who needs lots of cuddles and compassion, while Reagan is the strong independent one who doesn’t want any help or told how to do anything. Avery loves horses and drawing, while Reagan is a mother in the making while she drags around all of her dolls and puts them to bed or feeds them. Avery will start Kindergarten next year and Reagan will get one more year at home before she starts preschool.

Our foster children, Jacob and Jake are both doing well. Jacob just turned 15 years old (yikes!!) and Jake will be 13 years old in February. Jacob is continuing to improve in his communication skills, and his behaviors are continuing to decrease as well. Jake is still the mellow man on campus who is usually smiling to talking you up about anything but the weather is his favorite.

Sadie and Asher are…well, still in Ethiopia. As if having six kids in the house wasn’t enough for us, we have begun the process of adopting these two beautiful children from Ethiopia. Sadie is a 3 month old girl with big beautiful eyes, and Asher is a 15 month old boy that is full of energy and life. Everyone at the orphanage in Ethiopia says that he is the life of the party with a very strong personality. We are hoping that if everything continues to progress at the current rate, we will be able to bring our two new children home in March!

Sarah and Travis are still crazy in love, Sarah is still a RN on a Labor and Delivery/ Nursery unit, and Travis is still the Executive Director at the Arc.

We hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas and the very best New Year! Please keep in touch. Look us up on facebook , our Email is Dunn625@aol.com, and our blog is, of course, right here.

A lift!

2008-12-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

God knows when you need a lift in spirits and this was big lift for all of us today!

"When we visited Bete Saida last week we were told that this little guy was a Dunn. These were taken during the coffee ceremony. He was the life of the party."
Happy Holidays.
Bo and Dawn

2008-12-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

Here is a glimpse of Asher :-)

Please Pray

2008-12-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

Sadie is still not gaining weight so please pray for her, We have been allowed to send some formula to her & are hoping that helps quickly!
Asher looks great! he's chubby and smily :-)
Please pray that our immigration papers are prossesed quickley so that we can have our caes opened in the Ethiopian courts ASAP.

2008-12-18T16:09:00.000-08:00

Our Home study report if finished and should be off to USCIS, with our I-600a, tomorrow (I hope).

Christmas Plays

2008-12-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

As you can see NO one was real happy about any of the programs, oh well we made it through!

2008-12-16T09:26:00.000-08:00

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ~Romans 15:13

Thrilled

2008-12-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

We got some new pictures of Sadie today....it was like a great cup of coffee on a morning that you you just can't quite wake...more energy to keep on going. We should have some of Asher coming also.
Our home study agency called tonight and said that she was putting the finishing touches on that so I hope to see that SOON & get it on it's way to Ethiopia!

Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ ~ Ephesians 5:20

Awwww.....

2008-12-06T11:13:00.000-08:00

Our home study visits are finished!! now we just need to wait a few days for the report, then well be sending it in along with a few odds and ends to complete our dossier!
God knows what we need and is taking care of us so well!

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. - John 10-:14-15

Thank God for other families

2008-12-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

Here is an update we got from a family who just traveled to pick up their daughter! Please pray for them to have a safe and smooth trip home.

Sarah, Gadise is so little and sweet with huge eyes. She is very aware and loved the audio tape, listening very intently. We went to Beta and saw your referral for your son. He is so cute and quite the walker....strong and ruling the room. He got around really well and had a great relationship with the caregivers.

our Sons name is Ashenafi, i think we will call him Asher or Ashton.

Thankfull!!!!!!

2008-12-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

We may have our home study report completed by the end of next week, God can get things moving!!

More Payer...More Waiting

2008-12-03T01:09:00.000-08:00

Today, we are praying (as we do everyday),is the day we hear some information on our son as well as how fast our home study can be done since they have all our paperwork in order. We are also concerned as Gadisse is not gaining weight well.
We are still praying about how we will afford all thins since it is happening MUCH faster than anticipated. We know God will provide but, as I have said before, I am not patient so I want to know right now how He wants us to do this! it was nice to have our budget laid out and plans made, God’s plans just differ from ours sometime, and always better :-).

The boys and I have our travel appointments at the health department today so I am assuming there will be SHOTS for all!

Decorating

2008-12-01T09:06:00.001-08:00

Ordered the Crib sets for the babies, still waiting on that name

The waiting continues...

2008-11-24T09:48:00.000-08:00

All of our Passports are here, less than 2 weeks!! Still no info on our newest little peanut.
We have all of the documents collected for our Dossier except for the home study so now we just need to get the nursery set up then hurry up and wait.

It's a boy

2008-11-21T10:30:00.000-08:00

We just received a referral for a 1 year old baby boy!!! no other info yet.
Sadie Gadisse's health continues to improve :-) please keep praying for her.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. ~John 16:33

2008-11-18T09:41:00.000-08:00

Everlasting God by Lincoln Brewster

What's Next

2008-11-16T21:51:00.000-08:00

We're still waiting to hear more on Sadie Gadisse which is more emotionally draining than I ever expected....it's like sitting on pins and needles.
It's giving us lots of time to pray for her and pray for God to provide the funds that we need, we know he is bigger than the money we need, I have NEVER been good at waiting...so I am learning, but I am a slow learner.

Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. ~ Isaiah 40:31

More paperwork!

2008-11-14T13:38:00.000-08:00

We sent in more paperwork for our Dossier today and went to get Justice a passport. Justice originally said that he didn't want to go but upon further discussion we was worried about betting eaten by a lion in the "jungle" of Africa or catching malaria so after we explained things to him he wanted to go. Justice has such a big heart! he prays at night for Gadisse and all the Ethiopian children to stay safe and not get malaria, he will quickly remind you that every 30seconds a child in Africa dies from Malaria and that all they need to help then are inexpensive bed nets.

Then a dispute arose among them as to which of them would be greatest. And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a little child and set him by Him, and said to them, “Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great.” ~Luke 9:46-48

More peeks :-)

2008-11-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. ~Psalm 139:12-14

Names...Again

2008-11-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

And we're back to Sadie, after much discussion and advice from others, who have been there done that. Since it was the police and not her birth family that named her we decided that we would change her first name and keep Gadisse as her middle name. I think we will pronounce it with a silent e at the end since there are a lot of E sounds in her name.
She is out of the hospital but still ill so please keep her in your payers.

prayer

2008-11-08T18:22:00.000-08:00

Gadisse is in the hospital with pneumonia so it has been a stressful day and a test of faith.
We are feel that we should not chnage her name so out with Sadie and on with finding a name that goes with Gadisse. We finally found the meaning of Gadisse which is “Shield” or “Shelter”.

Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. ~ Isaiah 49:16

Waiting..........

2008-11-07T04:08:00.000-08:00

Praying today is the day that we get Sadie's file so we can formally accept her and get this ball rolling :-)

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. ~ Psalm 27:14

And the Name is...

2008-11-04T18:22:00.000-08:00

Sadie is her name, not sure on a middle name, we would like to find an ethiopian name and are still searching as well as waiting on her profile since I am unable to find the meaning of her current name.
Sadie means Princess and comes from Sarah.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah 1:4

Our babies eyes :-)

2008-11-02T21:21:00.000-08:00

2008-11-01T02:13:00.000-07:00

Jonah33 - Faith Like ThatFrom the album Jonah33
I have read about the days of old ~ About the men who followed You ~ And how they saw the supernatural ~ And became the chosen few ~ So I come before You now ~ Tearing off my earthly crowns ~ For this one thing I have found ~ I want a faith like that ~ To see the dead rise or to see You pass by, oh I want a faith like that whatever the cost I'll suffer the loss, oh, I want a faith like that ~ I'm not looking for a miracle ~ Signs and wonders or things thereof ~ I caught a glimpse of what You want for me And what I have is not enough I read the story one more time Of those who gave to You their lives With no fear or compromise ~ I want a faith that can move any mountain And send them to the seas I want a faith that can break every stronghold That keeps You, that keeps You from me

October 30, 2008

2008-10-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

We got a referral today for a 3 month old baby girl!!!!!!! We still have so much to do so it will be quite some time until we are able to travel.
Please pray for lots of peace and patience.

Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, Lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given him ~ James 1:3-5

October 29, 2008

2008-10-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Our next huge stack of paper went to Illien today. I have writers cramp from all the signatures we had to sign :-). Now it's just waiting until our home study is finished, lots of cleaning and praying time.

Psalm 121

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in From this time forth, and even forevermore.

2008-10-18T03:28:00.000-07:00

OK as I think how to keep everyone update on our adventure I am overwhelmed I want to tell everyone every little exciting detail...but that is way to much! So I am going to steal my amazing friend, Nancy's idea, who has gone before us and helped to pave the way to Ethiopia, and just give you brief updates as we go.

Late August of 2008 – God put Ethiopia on our hearts

September 2008 - Completely lost in stacks and stacks of packets from different adoptions agency….What to do? Is this really what Gods wants us to do or am completely CRAZY?

September 15, 2008 – It’s a God thing! I notice Nancy’s beautiful daughter Eden on Everdawns facebook page.

September 15, 2008 – I can see the light, Nancy helps me get on track and recommends some amazing reading.

September 18-23, 2008 – 2 conferences in Denver so lots of reading time and soul searching.

October 6, 2008 – Chose Illien for our agency after talking with 3 others I was discouraged because I just didn’t feel good about any of them, then I called Illien and knew within 30 seconds of talking to Susan that this was the right agency for us.

October 15, 2008 – It’s in the mail, our first application now the wait.

October 16, 2008 – WOW short wait…Thank you so much God! We’re approved. Now on to the home study.

October 23, 2008 – Medical for both agencies is done, everything that we can do so far for our home study is done. Now we just wait until the home study is completed.

October 28, 2008 - All our paperwork is completed for our home study and sent in.

2008-07-01T07:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Dunn Family blog.
More to come!!